Paper web moistening device



Feb. 11, 1964 J. T. PosPlszEl. 3,121,025

PAPER WEB MOISTENING DEVICE ATTORNEYS Feb- 11, 1964 J. T. PosPlszEL 3,121,025

PAPER WEB MOISTENING DEVICE Filed Jan. 4, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5% V 24 I V I- 1 29\ Il 13; i 2| E53 I 22' l 27| 32 n 1 A23 25" 25 l 3| 2O 2 30o )76,730 I9 l 2O l I W S I Il i l l FIG. 4 F|G. 5

ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 3,121,025 Patented Feb. 11, 1964 3,121,925 PAPER NEB MSTENLNG DEVCE Joseph 'l'. Pospiszel, North Broadalbin, N.Y., assigner to This invention relates to the production of yarn by twisting a moistened strip of paper and is concerned more particularly with a novel device for applying moisture to the paper at a closely controllable rate. The applicator device of the invention may be employed for applying moisture either to the paper web before it is slitted into strips or to the strips and, by its use, it is possible to insure that the paper is moistened thoroughly and uniformly and does not take up excess moisture which would be troublesome in subsequent operations. The new device rnay be employed in paper yarn machines of various types, but, since it affords especial advantages when used in the machine disclosed in the Shuttleworth and Hamilton Patent 3,012,393, issued December 12, 1961, a form of the device suitable for use in the machine of the patent will be illustrated and described in detail for purposes of explanation.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FlG. 1 is a view in rear elevation of the paper yarn machine of the patent which is equipped with the new moistening device;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view similar to FIG. 2 but on a larger scale;

FIG. 4 is a view in rear elevation of the paper slitting mechanism; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan view on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

The paper yarn machine illustrated comprises a framework provided with brackets 11 supporting an arbor 12 freely rotatable in bearings 13. A roll 14 of a paper web P of the desired width is mounted on the arbor and is drawn from the roll at a constant speed over an upper feed roll l5 and between the roll' 15 and a lower feed roll 16. From the feed rolls, the web passes upwardly and over a stationary bar 17 mounted on brackets 13 attached to the framework 10, the bar acting to keen the web at full width. Beyond the bar 17, the paper is moistened with water or water containing suitable additives and the moisture is applied in controlled amounts by the applicator device generally designated 19.

The applicator device comprises a vessel 2l) illustrated as cylindrical in form and provided with end plates 21 and projecting lugs 22, by which the device can be secured by means of bolts 23 to standards 24 arising from the framework 16 near the brackets 1S. The vessel has an opening 25 at its top and a roller 26 having end shafts 27 journalled in bearings in the end plates 21 projects out of the opening. The vessel is supplied with liquid through a supply line 28 leading to an opening in one end plate 21 and the pool of liquid L is maintained with a level above the bottom of the roller 26 by an overflow pipe 29 leading from an outlet opening in the other end plate.

A doctor blade in the form of an angle bar 3d is mounted on a hat bar 3l which extends from one end of the vessel to the other and is provided with arms 32 connected adjustably to the ends of the vessel by bolts 33 extending through slots in the arms and into the end plates 21. The doctor blade is mounted so that one of its flanges 35a lies within the opening 2S and the outer edge of the angle of the bar 30 makes contact with the surface of the paper web P beyond the roller 26.

The moistened paper moving from the doctor blade is slit into strips of a Width suitable for the production of individual yarns and the slitting is accomplished by a device which includes lower series of disks 34 mounted on a driven shaft 35 in bearings in the standardsV 24. Adjacent disks 34 are separated by a spacer 36 having a smooth central peripheral surface 37 of the same diameter as the disks 34 and chamfered or beveled edges 38 which co-operate with the adjacent disks to define channels. The slitting device includes an upper series of disks 39 on a driven shaft 40 journalled in bearings in the standards 24 and adjacent disks 39 are separated by spacer collars 41. The disks 39 lie in face contact with corresponding disks of the lower series and their peripheral edges overlap the peripheries of the disks 34 and lie within the channels between the chamfered edges of the spacers 36 and the disks 34.

The paper strips S leaving the slitting device pass over an idler roll 42 supported for rotation in arms 43 adjustably secured to the standards 24 by bolts 44. The roll 42 is so adjusted that the strips S leaving the slitting device lie substantially in a plane with the paper P traveling from the doctor blade to the line of Contact of the web with the spacers and lower disks of the slitting device. The strips are pulled from the slitting disks by the driven upper and lower feed rolls 45, 46 around and between which the strips pass, and the strips then enter individual guide tubes 47 on their way to the twisting devices.

In the operation of the paper machine equipped with the applicator device, the paper web passing over the bar 17 travels in contact with the outer surface of the vessel 2l? and then passes over the top of the roller 26 dipping within the body of liquid L in the vessel. The travel of the paper web in contact with the curved surface of the vessel keeps the web smooth and without wrinkles, as it approaches the roller, and the roller applies liquid to the under surface of the paper at such a rate as to insure that the paper will be thoroughly Wet over its entire surface. Upon leaving the roller, the paper passes at once to the doctor blade 30, which is adjusted t0 scrape the excess moisture from the paper web, and the liquid thus removed from the paper flows down the flange Sila of the doctor blade and returns to the pool of liquid L in the vessel. The amount of moisture retained by the paper depends on the pressure, with which the doctor blade bears against the surface of the web, and the pressure can be increased to reduce the moistening effect by swinging the vessel in a counter-clockwise direction about an axis through the bolts 23. It the paper is to be made wetter, the vessel 2d is swung in a clockwise direction about the axis so as to reduce the pressure, with which the doctor blade bears against the paper. During the swinging of the vessel to vary the amount of liquid applied to the web, the roller 26 remains in contact with the paper, so that the adjustment of the moisture content of the paper does not require that the operation of the machine be interrupted.

The use of the new applicator device thus makes it possible to apply the liquid to the paper initially in an excess amount so as to insure that all parts of the surface of the web will be wetted, regardless of the speed at which the paper is moving. The doctor blade then removes the excess moisture and leaves on the paper the amount which should be absorbed into the paper to soften it and facilitate its being twisted into yarn. It is impractical to apply the exact amount of liquid by means of an applicator roller and, when such a moistening roller alone is employed, it is usually necessary to apply an excessive amount of moisture to make sure that all parts of the paper will be wetted. T he excess moisture then becomes troublesome in subsequent operations, as in the twisting of the paper strips into the yarn and the winding of the yarn into packages. Difficulties arising from the use of an insufficient amount or an excessive amount of moisture are thus overcome by means of the new applicator device which permits a close control of the moisture content of the paper at the time it is twisted into yarn.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for maldng paper yarn, the combination of means for advancing a Web of paper lengthwise, a vessel for liquid having an opening, the vessel having a wall curved about an axis transverse to the web, a part of the Wall of the Vessel acting as a guide for the web, a roller mounted on the vessel in the opening and dipping into the liquid in the vessel, the roller extending transverse to and engaging one side of the web, a doctor blade mounted on the vessel in the opening parallel to and beyond the roller in the direction of the travel of the web and engaging the same side of the web as the roller, and a mounting for the vessel supported for angular movement about an axis parallel to the doctor blade, said mounting adjustable to vary the pressure of the doctor blade against the web, while maintaining the roller in Contact with the web, Y

2. In an apparatus for making paper yarn, the combination of claim 1, in which the doctor blade is one flange of an angle bar and the outer edge of the angle of the bar engages the web.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,517,056 Gledhill Nov. 25, 1924 2,065,457 Herman et al. Dec. 22, 1936 2,284,321 Kimball May 26, 1942 3,012,393 Shuttleworth et a1. Dec. 12, 1961 

1. IN AN APPARATUS FOR MAKING PAPER YARN, THE COMBINATION OF MEANS FOR ADVANCING A WEB OF PAPER LENGTHWISE, A VESSEL FOR LIQUID HAVING AN OPENING, THE VESSEL HAVING A WALL CURVED ABOUT AN AXIS TRANSVERSE TO THE WEB, A PART OF THE WALL OF THE VESSEL ACTING AS A GUIDE FOR THE WEB, A ROLLER MOUNTED ON THE VESSEL IN THE OPENING AND DIPPING INTO THE LIQUID IN THE VESSEL, THE ROLLER EXTENDING TRANSVERSE TO AND ENGAGING ONE SIDE OF THE WEB, A DOCTOR BLADE MOUNTED ON THE VESSEL IN THE OPENING PARALLEL TO AN DBEYOND THE ROLLER IN THE DIRECTION OF THE TRAVEL OF THE WEB AND ENGAGING THE SAME SIDE OF THE WEB AS THE ROLLER, AND A MOUNTING FOR THE VESSEL SUPPORTED FRO ANGULAR MOVEMENT ABUT AN AXIS PARALLEL TO THE DOCTOR BLADE, SAID MOUNTING ADJUSTABLE TO VARY THE PRESSURE OF THE DOCTOR BLADE AGAINST THE WEB, WHILE MAINTAINING THE ROLLER IN CONTACT WITH THE WEB. 